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ASTHMA

Asthma is a respiratory condition affecting the airways of the lungs, causing episodes of wheezing, breathlessness and chest tightness due to the narrowing of the airways. Asthma affects people of all ages and can usually be managed through effective treatment.

In 2011-12, 10.2% of Australians (or around 2.3 million people) had asthma. Overall, males and females reported similar rates of asthma (9.5% of males and 10.9% of females), however, rates of asthma across age groups show a different pattern.

Amongst children aged 0-14 years, males had a higher rate of asthma (11.4%) than did females (7.2%). However, from 15 years asthma is more common in women than men.